You Suck at Presenting

Image via Wikipedia

Forgive me for the vulgar title but it is fits. It is true. Ninety-nine percent of you suck at delivering presentations that work. And that disturbs me. GREATLY!

I, and everyone at HyperDisk, take my client’s success very personally. And it is not limited to what I, or HyperDisk, do specifically for them. I offer assistance, where I have experience and knowledge, on many activities unrelated to emarketing. I write press releases. I help with presentations. It is the latter that I want to address today. Your ability to deliver a winning presentation if vital to much of your overall success.

It is your marketing partner’s job to bring you the most targeted, highly qualified leads. Once those leads are in your hands, it is your job to close the deal. It is at this point where I have witnessed dramatic failure. I was a partner in a presentation recently that resulted in failure to land the account. (I must add here that I was not allowed any input to the presentation and was told, “you are only here to answer specific questions.” It was too bad because I could have really helped them get the account. That’s a story for another time however.)

The lead is in your hands. You’ve had several conversations with the prospect and feeling good. A date has been set for you to deliver a presentation. You start working on your PowerPoint. At this time you should STOP! It is at this stage when you will most likely loose the deal. Not many people approach building a presentation in the correct way. Which is why I am offering you this link to an article that will correct that. Follow the advice in the article and you will be well on your way to delivering presentations that work and you’ll be closing more deals. That, my friends, will make me very happy!

I’ll make you an offer. Get my information from the QR Code below and I’ll reviews and offer critiques of your presentations for free.

Scan this QR Code to download my VCard

Tags: marketing, Microsoft PowerPoint, Presentation, Press release

Semantically Enriched Hotels

A guest post by: Larry W. Smith, Partner, Thematix

A hotel is dynamic — a veritable revolving door of people and activities. Yet most hotel web sites are dynamic only in the booking process. It’s a rare hotel that understands that you are checking in for a reason, and that that reason is probably something happening in the hotel or nearby, like a conference, meeting, sightseeing attraction, wedding or a family reunion.

Using your hotel website to share information about local news, conferences, tradeshows, concerts, theater, attractions and the like will not only yield greater guest satisfaction and convenience; it can yield very substantial marketing and social presence.  If your hotel relies at tall on search engine traffic for top-line revenue, we offer the following easy and low cost way to get more for less.

Over the past several months, Thematix — in association with Hyperdisk Marketing — has undertaken a variety of pilot programs to determine the value of semantically marking up certain types of web pages using schema.org tags.  This markup consists of invisible code – in the webpage itself – that tells search engines about people, organizations, offers, locations, events and a myriad other things.  The search engines use the markup to help determine the relevance of your content to the users’ search queries.

We worked with two hotels located in mid-size markets on the east and west coasts, both of which were local properties belonging to a Top 5 national brand, each of which had its own “vanity” site providing basic hotel information and a booking engine.

In one case, we used schema.org markup to expose only the existing website content to search engines.  So, things like on-premises restaurants, location information, guest capacity and amenities were described in meta-data that search engines can understand.

In the other case, we created a new webpage, sharing the main site’s look and feel, which contained time-based events, including concerts, theatre performances, and season special activities within a 10 mile radius of the hotel. This idea was to become a trusted source of unique “news and activity” information on the events in the community and to intercept search engine users when searching for information related to the purpose of their journey.

In both cases there was an immediate value to the schema.org mark-up with both sites being re-indexed almost immediately. The mark-up informed Google, Bing, and Yahoo that the hotels were more than hotels – they were activity venues with substantially more value and relevance to people.

More importantly, the addition of unique content and descriptive language to the second site broadened the footprint to “long tail” searches that are relevant but not a typical subset of the sales and booking messages; further discussion and examples of these benefits are discussed in this Tnooz article by Rob Kost from Thematix.  Dozens of new keywords are indexed and linked to the hotel at a rate substantially ahead of nearby competition.

The SEO benefits are obvious in the redacted Google Analytics reports below.  The number of Google SERP impressions doubled, and the site advanced considerably in results position – within a day or two of the new page going live.

In one hotel case, using best practice valuation, we gained over $7,000 of Monthly SEO Traffic value.  Further, among the top 10 keywords, we achieve a 1-5 ranking for all but one word at Google, Bing and Yahoo; that one word came in 8^th at Google, and was typical since it is a common misspelling that is best practice to include.

Christopher Regan, a Hyperdisk advisor and SEO expert observed: “As pilot programs, the results are measurably positive and with immediate and lasting benefits to search engine optimization.  With further testing and refinement we believe there will be consistent and projectable ROI and lasting competitive advantage.”

Tags: Google Analytics, Google, Search engine optimization, Web search engine, Bing, Yahoo, Schema.org

Poll Results – Pinterest is a Challenge

Image via Wikipedia

My last post was about Pinterest and how it is beating Facebook (and IMHO will continue to do so.) While writing that post I decided to include a poll (you can still participate using the link below) to learn what people are thinking about Pinterest. Overwhelmingly (75%)  the respondents decided Pinterest was just another social media channel they will have to manage. Surprisingly, 25% stated it “was a fad and will be gone in less than 3 months.

Take my poll

Fresh on the heels of this post, is an article in the Wall Street Journal that states,

“I haven’t seen another stand-alone site that has reached 10 million visitors faster,” said comScore analyst Andrew Lipsman.

And includes this pretty amazing graph:

Based on my poll and all of the buzz surrounding Pinterest, I have questions for you. Please answer in the comments section. Thanks.

1. Do you now or are you planning to use Pinterest in your marketing? (Why or Why not?)
2. If using Pinterest, how are you using it? (Branding? Sales? Generate followers?)
3. How do you see Pinterest fitting in with your overall marketing strategy?

Related articles

• INFOGRAPHIC: What is Pinterest and Why Should You Care? (mobilemarketingwatch.com)

Tags: ComScore, Facebook, Pinterest, social media, Wall Street Journal

Pinterest Beating Facebook

I just checked in over at Crunchbase and saw the homepage listing “What’s Trending Now.” The picture below shows that Pinterest is the new hot topic beating Facebook. I believe Pinterest will continue to win out over Facebook because it is concise. What do you think?

Related articles

• Pin the Tail on the Marketing Donkey (hyperdiskmktg.wordpress.com)

Tags: Crunchbase, Facebook, Pinterest, Social network, Twitter

Do You Want Fame and Fortune?

When most people are asked, “Do you want fame and fortune?” reply with no. When asked if they want to be successful most people reply, “yes.” And if asked if they want to be content, the reply is “of course.” I think about this because of the tragic death of Whitney Houston. She clearly reached a pinnacle of fame and fortune but one could argue that she had neither success – if you define success as having a rewarding and long-lasting career – nor contentment. Sad. God rest her soul for she did not seem to find that on Earth.

__________________________________

Success and contentment can be achieved. Knowing what you want; making the right choices; understanding that you do NOT have all of the answers; and relying on experts are keys to a successful and rewarding career whether it is in music or marketing. You may even gain fame and fortune if that is what you seek. Why is HyperDisk qualified to assist you? I’ll give you a few reasons.

HyperDisk Marketing is one of the most experienced emarketing firms on the block, reaching back to the halcyon days of 1993. Now, as then, our focus is clear: help companies leverage digital media technology in order to improve, extend, and invigorate their marketing efforts. HyperDisk represents nearly 1,200 luxury hotels in worldwide. In addition to hospitality, HyperDisk represents Fortune 500 companies in the pharmaceutical, foodservice, financial and real estate industries.

Based in Southern California’s technology corridor, HyperDisk Marketing is a leader in search engine marketing (SEM), bridging the gap between paid search placement, optimization, and integration. We are tacticians of technology marketing. We know search inside and out, but we also go beyond that, employing a special brew that includes communications and tracking via Social Media, Consumer Engagement Mapping, and Customer Profile Targeting.

Services:

• SEO
• SEM
• SMM
• PPC
• Website design and production
• ecommerce solutions (shopping cart, encryption, verification, etc.)
• Strategic planning
• Internet marketing
• Consulting
• Revenue Optimization
• Website hosting
• Email marketing
• Database management and warehousing
• Direct Marketing
• Branding
• Online advertising
• Linking building and strategies
• CRM
• CMS

Related articles

• A Masterpiece Make-over (hyperdiskmktg.wordpress.com)

Tags: Business, Hyperdisk, marketing, Marketing and Advertising, Search engine marketing, social media

Targetting Tablets Pays Big Dividends

"Tablet users spend more online than any other device." Image via CrunchBase

This is the year of the tablet and hotel websites (specifically, higher end properties) need to ensure they have tablet optimized experiences. It’s best to test all sites with an iPad as they have the largest market share on tablets and there is a higher % of iPad traffic on sites the higher end the client.

According to Aaron Goldman of Kenshoo, 7% of all online sales Kenshoo saw over the holidays came from a tablet, and “Of the sales transactions completed via mobile, over 83% of the revenue was driven through tablets, and overall tablet conversion rate was 2.72%, more than 3x higher the conversion rate for mobile phones.

Additionally, the average order value from tablets ($149.84) actually exceeded that of desktop computers ($146.07).”

This is actually in line with what we’ve seen from our clients. iPad’s tend to make up a majority of mobile traffic and provide a majority of mobile revenue:

For Dec. 1-Jan 30

Sea Island – iPad drove 14,000 visitors (nearly 50% of mobile traffic and 100% of mobile revenue)

Post Ranch Inn – iPad drove 11,000 visitors (more than 50% of mobile traffic and 100% of mobile revenue)

Cavallo Point – iPad 7,334 visitors (nearly 50% of the mobile traffic and about 73% of mobile revenue)

Jefferson Hotel – iPad 3700 visitors (nearly 50% of mobile traffic and about 84% of mobile revenue).

Further, according to the article, there are 3 types of search:

1. Exploration – finding new content

2. Mission – trying to get something done

3. Excavation – using search to solve multi-step problems.

A majority of mobile (phone) searches are of the mission type, with a small amount of exploration.

PC searching tends to be spread between all three.

Tablet searching, however, is mostly exploration meaning that there is great search opportunity.

Google says that it’s better to serve a desktop experience to a tablet user as they more closely resemble desktop users in behavior and search.

Adobe says to serve tablet-optimized experiences rather than mobile or desktop sites (with the 2 obvious tablet-optimizing features being the removal of flash and adjusting the navigation for drop down menu.

Everythng You Need to Know About Tablet Searched – Search Engine Land

Tags: Aaron Goldman, Cavallo Point, iPad, Kenshoo, Tablet computer

WTH? Is SPYW?

Image via CrunchBase

It seems Google users have sympathy from the Googlers when it comes to recent changes at Google. For search marketing people, and the clients who depend on them, it is becoming increasingly difficult to appear in organic search results because of SPYW? Which is why you need a highly experienced firm that delivers integrated approaches like HyperDisk Marketing.

 

Larry Page to Googlers: If You Don’t Get SPYW, Work Somewhere Else | PandoDaily.

Related articles

• SPYW Update: Is Google Back-Pedaling Ahead of Company All-Hands? (pandodaily.com)

Tags: Google, Larry Page, Organic search, Web search engine

Pin the Tail on the Marketing Donkey

Looking for a way to connect viscerally with your customers and guests? Pinterest is growing exponentially and is on a trajectory to outpace Twitter and Facebook as well it should. The vast majority of people are visual and love to share. Pinterest taps into both. On top of that, it is extremely easy to use. No wonder comments about Pinterest often include, “I’m addicted!” or “I love Pinterest.”

 

It is not a matter of whether to have a Pinterest account of not. It is how soon can I make it happen. Mine is Fusedmind in case you wish to follow me.

 

Pinterest and tourism: visual inspiration for your visitors | Sheilas Guide To The Good Stuff.

 

Related articles

• Pinterest Becomes Top Traffic Driver for Retailers [INFOGRAPHIC] (mashable.com)

Tags: Facebook, Online Communities, Pinterest, Social Networking, Twitter

Is Media Fragmented?

Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr

I am a frequent user of Quora. I find the topics and answers provided fascinating. I also learn a great deal. The large variety of topics means I am never bored and I often discover a topic I would not have thought I was interested in if it weren’t for the Quora format.

Below is an example of a reply to a recent discussion where I offered my opinion.

Simon Foster:
Media fragmentation is not a myth, but its effects have been over stated. Put simply it is true that there are more options, but consumers are still consuming a lot of media in the way they have for many years. As BBH Labs recently put it, ‘The speed, scale and depth of the so-called digital revolution has been wildly exaggerated’. How can they say this? Well they’ve looked at a number of factual industry research measures on topics like social media adoption and TV viewing. BBH research shows that only 2% of web users actively create and contribute to social media. Even within big social media platforms like Twitter 83% of subscribers have not sent a tweet in the last month. On the other hand, TV viewing levels per day in the UK remain flat at roughly 4 hours per day now compared to 4 hours per day 20 years ago.

To see the question page with all answers, visit:
http://www.quora.com/l/2lHPmXj7Qz

Related articles

• Quora Boards: Q&A Site Adds Curation Tool That Marketers Should Know About (marketingland.com)

Tags: BBH Labs, Online Communities, Quora, Social network, Twitter

Compare SEO Costs

You may be using a web design firm, a social media consultant, an SEO firm, and an ad agency, or any combination of them. How do you know if you’re costs are in line with industry averages or if you are paying too much? This handy chart can help you get a feel for what firms charge, and how, for various services.

Infographic by SEOmoz & AYTM Market ResearchFor more information including links to the raw data http://www.seomoz.org/blog/seo-pricing-costs-of-services

Want to know what HyperDisk’s fees are?

Scan this QR Code to download my VCard

Tags: Search engine optimization, Seo Firm